Clumping - Argghhh!

Pendesd · 06-21-2005, 09:30 AM

Does anyone have any advice? I'm irritated and I think I've done it to myself.

Here's my problem.
Whenever I clarify, my curls get very light and separated. They're a little dry after, but if I'm not careful I over condition and when I over condition, I poof up rather than get greasy.

My routine is Lemonaid (from CG) and a brown sugar scrub, then I put Keraphix in and comb through. I style with a little leave in contitioner, CK, and Recoil (My usual routine).

I usually do this once a week. My hair CAN clump beautifully - sometimes. At other times, it just looks like curly fur. And I really need clumping to help me with volume.

Is the combing messing me up? I feel like I need to detangle. But it may be like that line from CG about Lorraine washing her hair whether she needed to or not. Should I just lay off? Also, the dirtier my hair is, the better it clumps. Should I clarify less often? I've noticed when I used the SIAS my hair loved, loved, loved it and was shinier, clumpier, less frizzier. So is it a product issue? I've never tried jojoba oil and I notice it's in the SIAS. Do I need that? Does it clump because it's dirty or because it has more natural oils??

Any advice??

love yourself first · 06-21-2005, 03:12 PM

Well, I don't clarify, so it i hard for me to advise you about that. I get the best clumping when I use a moisturizing, detangling conditioner and wet brush in the shower. But my curls are pretty well-formed most of the time, so I don't worry about clumping too much - it is like a great side benefit from the detangling effects of wet brushing

My hair likes SIAS too, and pretty much loves jojoba oil in products, so ingredients and choice of products can definitely play a role in how your hair looks.

Amneris had a great thread on the general hair board about "What ingredients does your hair love/hate" and I looked at a bunch of my products that work and don't work and noticed some lovely trends which I posted on her thread... Maybe you want to do something similar, kind of like a home grown science project for your hair products

Carriola · 06-21-2005, 03:17 PM

Sounds like you need more moisture and less combing. Keraphix isn't a good conditioner for daily use for my fluffy 3c hair. You also probably don't need to clarify as often as you are. if something isn't working for you, stop doing it! That includes shampooing, products, combing, everything. There is no rule that says you have to comb your hair EVER. However, most people do because after a while their hair stops looking and feeling good.

1) Cut out the clarifier.
2) Shampoo less frequently
3) If you are going to comb your hair, comb BEFORE you shampoo, while hair is wet under the shower.
4) apply product to SOAKING WET hair by squeezing it in--don't comb or rake it though and don't apply it to damp hair. Squeeze excess water out AFTER products are applied. Don't ever towel dry.
5) Use a conditioner with a higher moisture and lower protein content. Try Humectress or Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner, my favorite.
6) use a creamy leave-in and styling product.

Works for me.

Pendesd · 06-22-2005, 06:13 AM

Thanks guys. It reminds me of that old joke "Doctor, it hurts when I do this. Dr: So don't do that."

Carriola, those are good ideas and I love Humectress. I agree about the Keraphix being too much for daily. It only goes on weekly. My worry is that I'll either get really matted hair or my curls will turn into dredlocks if I quit combing. Is that completely irrational? Although I'll just have to remind myself how much my hair thanked me when I tossed the brush under the sink and trashed the evil shampoo. Okay, I'll try it. Less clarifying. I'll remind myself that the worst that can happen is it gets dirty and I need to wash.

Curltopia - I was thinking about ingredients this morning. I think I'd be less a PJ if I knew what my hair disliked. I've tried tons of stuff and I've been using Aloeba, DevaOne, but that SIAS was like a miracle cure. It made my curls just about indestructable! (I'm getting desperate enough that I'm talking myself around the price.) Jane Carter Nourishing Cream gave me kind of the same results, so I think I'll start there. Do you use straight jojoba or stuff that has jojoba in it?

love yourself first · 06-22-2005, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pendesd

Thanks guys. It reminds me of that old joke "Doctor, it hurts when I do this. Dr: So don't do that."
. . .
Curltopia - I was thinking about ingredients this morning. I think I'd be less a PJ if I knew what my hair disliked. I've tried tons of stuff and I've been using Aloeba, DevaOne, but that SIAS was like a miracle cure. It made my curls just about indestructable! (I'm getting desperate enough that I'm talking myself around the price.) Jane Carter Nourishing Cream gave me kind of the same results, so I think I'll start there. Do you use straight jojoba or stuff that has jojoba in it?

Trust me, sometimes even when you know what your hair likes you can still be a PJ

:P With my hair, it likes a lot of things, but also has some very clear dislikes too (like too many oils/butters or oils in one product, or high amounts of glycerine and nothing else - those are all no-nos for me....).

I LOVE the Jane Carter Nourishing Cream... It is my HG leave-in product. SIAS is also very good. I'm happy that they both work for you

I've never used straight jojoba oil although I've bought some for experimenting.

Jojoba oil or in jelly form is usually high or medium high in the ingredient list for some of my favorite products..

I thought Carriola's suggestions were excellent too!

Pendesd · 06-27-2005, 03:47 PM

The tips were great, thanks guys!!

I think I've found the cure!!! Hooray!!! I did the ingredient search. I looked at what my hair really liked and what didn't work, but had the same kind of consistency. SIAS and JC Nourishing are wonderful for me. Jessicurl's DT has the same consistency, but not the same results. And the ingredients are almost exactly the same. The difference?? HONEY! It's close to the top of both SIAS and JC. I'd tried honey before, but only with gels and got an awful, straw-like result. I mixed my Jessicurl DT with a little honey and BANG! Fantastic. Curltopia, if you liked the others, you've got to try this.

dandelionwine · 06-27-2005, 08:24 PM

Hmmm. I'm intrigued . . .

Amneris · 06-27-2005, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pendesd

Does anyone have any advice? I'm irritated and I think I've done it to myself.

Here's my problem.
Whenever I clarify, my curls get very light and separated. They're a little dry after, but if I'm not careful I over condition and when I over condition, I poof up rather than get greasy.

My routine is Lemonaid (from CG) and a brown sugar scrub, then I put Keraphix in and comb through. I style with a little leave in contitioner, CK, and Recoil (My usual routine).

I usually do this once a week. My hair CAN clump beautifully - sometimes. At other times, it just looks like curly fur. And I really need clumping to help me with volume.

Is the combing messing me up? I feel like I need to detangle. But it may be like that line from CG about Lorraine washing her hair whether she needed to or not. Should I just lay off? Also, the dirtier my hair is, the better it clumps. Should I clarify less often? I've noticed when I used the SIAS my hair loved, loved, loved it and was shinier, clumpier, less frizzier. So is it a product issue? I've never tried jojoba oil and I notice it's in the SIAS. Do I need that? Does it clump because it's dirty or because it has more natural oils??

Any advice??

you can take some of my clumping... I have it and I don't really like it. I think for me, besides genetics, oils do make it happen and also saturating my hair with a lot of conditioner. Combing with all this in my hair seems to actually make it happen.

Pendesd · 06-30-2005, 06:26 AM

Anmeris, how wide are the teeth in your comb?

When I comb through, my curls seem to be the size of the width of the teeth in the comb I used

Amneris · 06-30-2005, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pendesd

Anmeris, how wide are the teeth in your comb?

When I comb through, my curls seem to be the size of the width of the teeth in the comb I used

pretty wide - in my favourite comb, they're about 1;/2 an inch apart. I wonder if the combing is doing it? I know I've always had extreme clumping, because when I was growing up my mama got on my case about the "gusanitos" (little worms) and "dadda hairs" (dreadlocks) on my head.

dandelionwine · 07-02-2005, 06:15 PM

Honey = Clumping for me too!